


Lost Running In A Straight Line

by Sadbhyl



Series: Smith & Harkness [11]
Category: Sarah Jane Adventures, Sarah Jane Smith (Big Finish Audio), Torchwood
Genre: F/M, Gen, Jossed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-30
Updated: 2011-08-30
Packaged: 2017-10-23 06:39:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/247303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sadbhyl/pseuds/Sadbhyl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There’s something hiding in the dark</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lost Running In A Straight Line

**Author's Note:**

> This series was originally written waaaay back when, starting in May of 2006, shortly after School Reunion aired and a few months before the premiere of Torchwood, when the Sarah Jane Adventures were barely an idea. Which explains some of the poor characterization in the early chapters, especially Ianto. I struggled with the idea of revising to fit canon, but decided to leave it as an archive. Everything's pretty much Jossed, but have fun with it anyway.

They ran.

It was all they could do. Jack gripped Sarah’s hand tightly as they raced through the trees, cut off from the extra firepower back in the SUV by the hunting pair of Haubingar wolves that had their scent and now stalked them, invisible in the darkened woods of Bute Park. His blaster had given out, unable to penetrate the first wolf’s thick hide, and when its mate had appeared, there had been no choice but to flee. If they could just get to the river, they could lose the animals long enough to circle back around to the car park and the truck, and the charged ion blasters waiting there. Failing that, they could at least muddy up their scent to throw the wolves off, maybe get a pleasure boat headed for a nighttime cruise to take them downstream.

But for now, they ran.

He had to give Sarah credit, she knew how to run from danger. Head down, body compact, not looking back to see if anything was gaining on her. She saved her breath for running, not asking stupid questions that he probably couldn’t answer. Periodically she brought her hand to her mouth and blew on it as though it were cold, but otherwise she followed his lead.

He wished it were more under his control. The woods here weren’t so deep, it shouldn’t be hard to get to the path and the river beyond. But they were being herded down the length of the forest instead of the shorter distance across, the animals just close enough that their occasional yips and barks kept Jack from making the turn towards the embankment. He just prayed they made it to the far end before the wolves caught them.

And then suddenly Sarah was dragging at his arm, hauling him to the right and down towards the water. “It’s too far,” he insisted, trying to pull her back. “We’ll never make it.”

“Trust me,” Sarah insisted, her grip never easing as she led him pounding between the trees.

A howl of victory splintered the night closer behind than Jack’s nerves could bear, but Sarah didn’t slow as the trees thinned and the lights of the waterfront began to appear. He could hear a snorting snarl closing in even as her foot first hit the walking path that cut through the park, following the line of the river. If they made it across that, they’d be home free.

The feel of hot breath against his heel told him they weren’t going to make it.

An unexpected mechanical whine charged through the air, and suddenly a blast of ruddy laser fire illuminated the darkness, lancing into the wolf lunging in that instant for Jack. The animal yelped and staggered just as another blast took off its head.

“Good boy, K9!” Sarah shouted, heading for a small gray box in the foot path. “Can you detect the other one?”

“Affirmative, mistress.” The box resolved itself into the cube shaped simulation of a dog, right down to its radio antenna ears. “Step aside, please. It will break cover in three…two…one…”

Jack barely had time to step aside before the small robot’s nose glowed ruby red again, a laser blast firing out just as the second wolf burst out of the trees. The shot hit low on the animal’s chest, knocking it backwards and off its feet. As it struggled upright, the small robot advanced, putting itself between the wolf and Sarah and Jack. The moment the wolf turned to face them, the robot fired again, this time impaling the wolf’s eye. It howled in agony and dropped, blood foaming from its bellowing lungs as it died there on the path.

“Is that all of them?” Sarah asked, panting hoarsely.

“I don’t—”

“Affirmative, mistress,” the robot dog interrupted. “No further hostiles detected.”

“Oh, thank goodness.” She collapsed on the path next to the dog, patting it on the head as she might have a real dog. “Good boy, K9. You were right on time.”

“Thank you, mistress.” Its long radial tail wagged happily.

Jack braced his arms on his thighs, bent over as he fought for breath, studying Sarah’s companion. Finally he pointed at it weakly. “That’s a Bi-Al K9 mobile computer unit.”

“Mark IV,” Sarah amended, her own voice breathless and thready.

“That’s fifty-first century technology.”

“I know.”

“That should be in Torchwood.”

Sarah rose up defensively, her chest still bellowing. “Don’t try to take him, Jack. I don’t want to have to hurt you.”

All his suspicions now awakened, he advanced on her. “Where did you get fifty-first century tech?”

“From the fifty-first century, I should imagine.”

“Don’t get smart with me.” Adrenaline fed his anger. “I can only think of two places you could have gotten something like this. Either the Time Agency sent you, or…”

“Or the Doctor gave him to me.”

Her words were like ice, freezing him, numbing him, robbing him of anger and fear and anything else except the last lingering dregs of confusion. “The Doctor?”

“Yes, Jack, the Doctor.” She rose to her feet unsteadily and started up the path. “Come on, K9. I think Captain Harkness wants us to go have a little chat.”

The cybernetic dog trundled up the footpath after her.

Jack had no choice but to follow.


End file.
